Faculty 2024

Dr. Xun Pan · Dr. Ivo Kaltchev · Dr. Ruiqi Fang · Dr. Alessandra Feris · Dr. Eric Fung · Prof. James Jin · Dr. Julian Langford · Prof. Chongxiao Liu · Prof. Chi-Wei Lo · Prof. Simon Maurer · Prof. Francesco Mirabella · Prof. Vincenzo Pavone · Dr. Hedi Salanki · Dr. Chia-Yi Tseng · Prof. Xing Wang · Dr. Xiaopei Xu · Dr. Yang Yang · Prof. Xiaofeng Zhang · Prof. Zhe Zhang · Gabriel Chamber Ensemble

A Steinway Artist, Chinese-American pianist Xun Pan received his early musical training from hisgrandmother and pianists-parents, Pan Yiming and Ying Shizhen. He continued his studies at theCentral Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Syracuse University in New York, and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey. 

Mr. Pan has won many international piano competitions and awards, beginning with first prize in the 1986 China National Piano Competition in Beijing, and the "Dr. Luis Sigall" International Piano Competition in Chile in 1987, the International Festival Piano Competition in Korea in 1990, the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York in 1992, and the Artists International Competition in New York in 1993.A student of Theodore Lettvin, Mr. Pan has performed solo recitals worldwide from Carnegie Weill Hall to the Beijing National Center for Performing Arts. He has performed in Moscow, Santiago, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Taipei, Budapest, Salzburg, Sicily, New York, Seoul, Pyongyang, Biel, Bern, Brussels, Vina Del Mar, Washington DC, Lisbon, Toronto, Boston, San Jose, San Francisco, and many other cities in the world. He “…excites his audience with extraordinary power and masterful technique.” (The Star-Ledger)

A noted chamber musician, Mr. Pan is the pianist of the Newstead Trio, Trio Clavino, and Pennsylvania Piano Quartet. Their work has been broadcast live on radio and television, and they have released several highly-acclaimed recordings. Trio Clavino toured seven cities in China with Fulbright Grants managed by US Embassy in Beijing in 2014, and again in 2016. Mr. Pan has been served as a judge in many competitions include "Frinna Awerbuch" International Piano Competition in New York, United States Music Open Competition in Oakland, CA, United States International Music competition in Stanford, CA, Pancho Vladigerov International Piano Competition in Shumen, Bulgaria, and Maria Clara Cullell International Piano Competition in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Dr. Pan is the Director of Keyboard Studies of The Tell School of Music at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and is a visiting professor at many universities and conservatories in China, includes Central Conservatory of Music, China Conservatory of Music,Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China Northwest University for Nationalities, Fuzhou University, Yantai University, Shandong University, Qinghai Normal University, and Wenzhou University. He also taught master classes at Manhattan School of Music, Boston University, Frost School of Music at University of Miami, University of West Florida, Benjamin T Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America, Dartmouth College, Mozarteum University (Austria), Bellini Music Institute (Italy), Tbilisi State Conservatoire (Georgia), and others. He taught and served as the Chairman of the Piano Department at Pennsylvania Academy of Music between 1996 and 2009. 

Dr. Pan is one of the founding members and the Co-Artistic Director of the Lancaster International Piano Festival in Pennsylvania, USA.  

His performed the entire 32 piano sonatas, 10 piano/violin sonatas, 8 piano/cello works, and 13 piano trios of Beethoven when celebrating his 250th anniversary of birth.

Prizewinner of international piano competitions and a Bösendorfer Concert Artist, pianist Ivo Kaltchev has enjoyed a successful performing career as recitalist, soloist with orchestras, chamber musician, and recording artist. “Formidable technique” (Piano Journal, England), “possesses the genius of rubato” (Diapason, France), “distinctive and original” (Soviet Culture, Russia), “impressive” (Frankfurter Neue Presse, Germany), “most beautifully and idiomatically played” (International Record Review, England), “glittering,” “big technique” (Washington Post, U.S.), “a master of the whole range of pianistic attacks and coloristic effects” (The Star Ledger, U.S.)—these are some of the words that music critics have used to describe Dr. Kaltchev’s artistry and piano playing.

Dr. Kaltchev has performed in musical centers throughout the world, including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Changsha Concert Hall, China Conservatory Concert Hall, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory’s Malii and Rachmaninov Halls, St. Petersburg State Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall, Salle Moliere (Lyon, France), Tel Aviv Museum Recanati Auditorium, Mendelssohn Hochschule für Musik Hall (Leipzig, Germany), Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium, and the Bulgaria Great Hall. He has been a guest artist at music festivals in Austria, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Ukraine, Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, Canada and the U.S. Some of the highlights of recent seasons include a solo recital and a concerto performance with the EOS Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall, concert tours in Asia, as well as performances of the complete solo piano works of Claude Debussy as well as the complete art songs of Henri Duparc. A respected chamber musician, Dr. Kaltchev has performed with Shanghai String Quartet, Harrington String Quartet, pianists Ilana Vered and Milena Mollova, French actress Marie Christine Barrault as well with members of the New York Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Dr. Kaltchev’s critically acclaimed commercial recordings for the Bulgarian “Gega New” label include an all-Charles Griffes CD (hailed by the French magazine Diapason as “the most accomplished interpretation known until now”), a CD with the world premieres of solo piano works by the French composer Florent Schmitt, as well as a recently released CD with works of Debussy.

Dr. Kaltchev holds degrees and diplomas from Yale University and Rutgers University, Sofia Academy of Music, and the Liszt Hochschule für Musik (Weimar). He is the recipient of the Catholic University of America Awards for Overall Teaching Excellence (2017) and Achievement in the Creative Arts (2019) as well as to other piano pedagogy awards for teaching excellence presented by the Piano Teachers Society of America, the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, the Princeton Steinway Society and other organizations.  He has presented lectures, workshops, and master classes in Europe, China, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Costa Rica, the Virgin Islands, and the U.S.           

Dr. Kaltchev is an active adjudicator and has judged international piano competitions in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. Dr. Kaltchev’s students have won more than 70 prizes at international and national piano competitions and have performed with numerous orchestras including I Solisti di Perugia (Italy) and Orquestra De Camara De Cascais E Oeiras (Portugal).  His students have been accepted for graduate and undergraduate piano studies at Juilliard, Peabody, Eastman, Manhattan, Indiana, San Francisco, Northwestern, Mannes, SUNY Stony Brook, Roosevelt, Miami and other leading universities and schools of music in the U.S.

Currently, Dr. Kaltchev is Professor of Piano and Head of the Piano Area at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.  He is the co-director of the Lancaster International Piano Festival (www.lancasterpianofest.com) as well as the Artistic Director of the Bulgarian Music Society Concert Series at the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington, DC (www.bulgarianmusicsociety.org ).  He has taught as a Visiting Piano Professor at the Beijing China Conservatory of Music and the Yale University School of Music.

“Decidedly personal” “Intelligent playing” and “Versatile.” These are just a few examples of how critics have glowingly described pianist Ruiqi Fang’s solo recital at the Basílica Menor del Convento de San Francisco de Asís in Havana, Cuba. The recital “will be long remembered; a woman with unquestionable sensitivity, whom has performed works of Baroque and Impressionism with absolute thoroughness.” (CMBF National Radio Music, June 2015). Ms. Fang has also been interviewed by CBS Sunday News, Music Weekly, Chinese Business News, Yangcheng Evening News, and Sanqin Daily.

Ruiqi Fang has performed as a recitalist and chamber music player in major concert venues around the world, such as Beijing Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Zhongshan Park Music Hall (Beijing, China), National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing, China), Beijing National Library Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Xi’an Concert Hall (Xi’an, China), Taipei National Concert Hall (Taipei), Palau de la Música (Valencia, Spain), Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York, USA), Merkin Concert Hall (New York, USA) and Staller Center for the Arts (Long Island, USA). Ms. Fang has frequently appeared as a soloist with professional orchestras, including the Cuba National Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Sinfonia, and Manhattan School of Music Brass Orchestra. In 2015, she performed the Bartok Piano Concerto No.1 with the Cuba National Symphony under the baton of Enrique Pērez Mesa, and it was the premiere of this concerto in Cuba.

As the first prize winner of the Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition, Ruiqi Fang is also the top prize winner in other numerous piano competitions, including the Zhujiang Youth Piano Competition, the First Kawai Piano Competition , the Second Steinway Piano Competition, Xi'an Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, Taipei Chopin International Piano Competition, Artur Balsam Competition for Duos, and Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition.

Also active as a collaborative pianist, Ruiqi Fang has worked with numerous leading musicians, including flutist Sir James Galway, flutist Sandrine Tilly, violinist Didier Lockwood and violinist Asi Matathias. Additionally, she has collaborated with the musicians at the United States Navy Band 42nd International Saxophone Symposium, CCTV Vocal Competition in China, Young Concert Artists Auditions, New York Concert Artists Auditions, Concert Artists Guild Auditions, Astral Artists Auditions, Astral Artists Auditions, Sphinx Competition, New York International Music Competition and the New York Solo Competition.

Ruiqi Fang holds the coveted Doctor of Musical Arts degree, Master of Music degree and Professional Studies Diploma from Manhattan School of Music, under the tutelage of the world-renowned pedagogue Dr. Solomon Mikowsky. She also received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Other musical influences include Christoph Eschenbach, Manaheim Pressler, Stephen Hough, Lucie Robert, and Sylvia Rosenberg. Ruiqi Fang is currently on the faculty of Xi’an Conservatory of Music and is a visiting lecturer at the Central Conservatory of Music Distance Learning Program.

Following undergraduate studies at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazilian pianist Alessandra Feris received a fellowship from KAAD (Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer-Dienst) to study at the Hochschule für Musik ‘Franz Liszt’ in Weimar, Germany, where she received the Artist Diploma under the tutelage of Thomas Steinhöfel and the legendary Lazar Berman. As a student in Weimar, she was awarded a Liszt Foundation fellowship to attend the Béla Bartók International Festival and Seminar in Szombathely, Hungary, and also participated in projects such as the entire performance of Bach’s Das Wohltemperierte Klavier. She came to the United States as a student and teaching assistant of Réne Lecuona at the University of Iowa. In Iowa she earned a master’s degree in Piano Performance and was awarded the ‘Becker Piano Scholarship’ as well as the prestigious ‘John Simms Piano Award For Outstanding Achievement in the Study of Music.’ Under the direction of Carolyn Bridger and Read Gainsford, Alessandra Feris received a doctoral degree in Piano Performance at Florida State University in 2009. A devoted doctoral teaching assistant at FSU, she was the recipient of the ‘2008 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.’ Dr. Feris served as Piano Faculty and Artist-in-Residence of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College for eight years, where she worked with a wide diversity of students. Committed to excellence in teaching, she received the ‘Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year Award’ in 2012. A sought-after pedagogue, Dr. Feris has been actively adjudicating competitions on both national and international levels, as well as conducting masterclasses at major universities in the U.S. and abroad. Her students have been winning many competitions such as the MTNA Young Artist (state level), Truran Piano Competition, and the University of South Dakota Concerto Competition.

Alessandra Feris has as an extensive career as soloist and chamber musician. She has performed widely in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Serbia, and in the United States, making successful solo debuts in major venues such as the Theatro São Pedro in Porto Alegre (Brazil), the Costa Rican National Theater, the Steinway Haus in Frankfurt (Germany), and the Palácio de Bellas Artes (Sala Manuel M. Ponce) in Mexico City. She has recently been a guest artist/teacher at institutions such as Louisiana State University, Montclair State University, James Madison University, Augustana University, Auburn University, University of Southern Mississippi, Kansas State University, Huntingdon College, University of North Dakota, Chadron State College, University of South Alabama, University of Montevallo, Universidad de Costa Rica, Southern University, Wayne State University, Universidade de Aveiro in Portugal, Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina, Ionian University in Greece, and several universities in Brazil as UNICAMP (Campinas), UDESC (Florianópolis), UFRGS (Porto Alegre), UFSM (Santa Maria), UFPEL (Pelotas), UFOP (Ouro Preto), UNB (Brasilia), UFMG (Belo Horizonte) and others. Additionally, she is devoted to the diffusion of Latin-American music and is often requested to premiere works by Brazilian contemporary composers.

Dr. Feris has joined the Music Faculty of the University of South Dakota as Assistant Professor of Piano in 2016. A passionate collaborative pianist, she enjoys performing with colleagues and is a member of Duo Weimar with cellist Pedro Bielschowsky and Duo Paul-Feris with oboist Jeffrey Paul. She is an artist-faculty at the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy, the Lancaster International Piano Festival in Pennsylvania, and the Piano Plus Festival in Greece.

Dr. Eric Fung was the second-prize ex aequo winner at the Thirteenth International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany. He was also awarded first prize at the Corpus Christi Young Artists International Competition (1996), second prize at St. Louis Symphony Concerto Competition (1997), and first prize at the Juilliard School Concerto Competition (2000). 

As a performer, Dr. Fung has collaborated with the Juilliard Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Middle Germany Chamber Orchestra, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Hershey Symphony Orchestra, Lebanon Valley College Orchestra, the Central Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Orchestra. He has appeared in international music festivals, such as the Israel Festival in Jerusalem, European Piano Forum in Berlin (Germany), the Puigcerda Music Festival (Spain), the Philadelphia Bach Festival, the Kamerman Piano Series in Pensacola (Florida), the Lancaster International Piano Festival, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. His orchestra debut at Lincoln Center with the Juilliard Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Otto Werner Miller and his Carnegie Hall solo debut won rave reviews from the New York Times and New York Concert Review, respectively. Anthony Tommasini praised his pianism for being “mature, refined, and elegant.” Harris Goldsmith described him as “a pianist with a musical persona akin to Rudolph Serkin” and praised his performance for having “vibrant vitality… unflappable logic, flexibilities in nuances and requisite lyricism.” The Hong Kong Economic Review commended him for being “unique among the contemporary Chinese pianists, for the aesthetic of his music can be traced back to the study and passion for Bach’s works.”

Dr. Fung was awarded Advanced Certificate in Piano Performance from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music in London at age 15. He later received scholarships to continue his study at the Eastman School of Music where he received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance, and also a Master of Arts in Music Theory Pedagogy. In 2005, he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano from the Juilliard School where he was a full-scholarship recipient.  

His major piano teachers include Eva Lue, Natalya Antonova, Martin Canin, and Oxana Yablonskaya. He was coached by such prominent piano pedagogues as Boris Berman, Christopher Elton, Claude Frank, and Peter Frankl, and Barbara Nissman in master classes and international music festivals.  He also studied analysis with Matthew Brown, Steven Laitz, and Carl Schachter.

Dr. Fung is currently a tenured associate professor of piano at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. As an educator, he has conducted masterclasses at higher education institutions and professional organizations, including Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Israel, Sichuan Conservatory of Music (Chengdu, China), Xinghai Conservatory of Music (Guangzhou, China), National Tainan University (Taiwan), National Chaio Tung University (Taiwan), Soochow University (Taiwan), East Tennessee State University, Hope College (Michigan), University of Illinois at Carbondale, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and the Tom Lee Music Foundation.  He is also active as an adjudicator in competitions, such as the Lancaster Symphony (PA) Concerto Competition, the Greater Princeton (NJ) Steinway Society Scholarship Competition, the New Jersey Music Teachers Association Piano Competition, and MTNA Competition.

A passionate and versatile musician, Xin (James) Jin is currently working as Acting Principal Second Violinist in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Director of Auckland Academy of Music, Director of NZ Chamber Orchestra, Director of Asia Pacific Performing Arts, Music Director of the Auckland Chinese Philharmonic Choir, and Artistic Director of New Zealand International Young Artists Festival.

James was born in China and moved to New Zealand with his family in 2001, where he started to grow and develop as a performer. Highlights of his performances in this period include Brahms' violin concerto with the Wellington Chamber Orchestra and the Manawatu Sinfonia Orchestra, and concert pieces with the Michael Monaghan Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra. James was the youngest contestant in the 1st China International Violin Competition (2006), as well as the only representative from Australasia. James was contracted by the Wellington Vector Orchestra as Principle Violinist in 2007, and in the following year he was admitted, with the award of full scholarship, to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to study with Prof. Ian Swensen.

In America James has won top prizes in competitions including the Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Competition and the Y.E.S. Foundation Young Arts' Competition. James has also worked with many distinguished teachers, artists, ensembles and conductors in the Tanglewood Music Festival, Music Academy of the West and the Siena International Music Festival.

Returning to New Zealand in 2015, James has won the New Zealand School of Music Concerto Competition and the Waikanae Music Society scholarship. In 2015 James joined the APO as Associate Principle 2nd Violinist and curator of APO’s Up-Close Chamber Concert Series. Besides working for the APO, James performs regularly in recitals and concerts in different countries around the world including New Zealand, Australia, USA, and China as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and concertmaster.

Julian Langford is a cellist who brings intense passion to every performance he gives, whether it involves solo repertoire, chamber music or being the principal cellist of an orchestra.

Julian has prolific performing experience, playing in major concert halls such as Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher/David Geffen Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Bruno Walter Auditorium in Lincoln Center, the Tenri Cultural Institute, Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, among others. Julian has performed concertos with many orchestras, including the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Bergen Philharmonic and the first Shostakovich Cello Concerto with the Chappaqua Orchestra. In 2008, Julian performed the Schubert Two Cello Quintet with world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, and was invited to be a guest artist with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center at Damrosch Park. In 2018, Julian went on tour in China, where he performed and taught master classes in multiple venues in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Beijing. In 2019, Julian went on tour in Korea, where he performed as part of the New York Classical Players Korea tour and played in major venues such as the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, the Samcheok Cultural Arts Center, and the Daegu Concert House.

Chamber music has been a staple in Julian’s performing career. He performed the Weber Clarinet Quintet with internationally acclaimed clarinetist Charles Neidich at the Tenri Cultural Institute and also performed with the esteemed Emerson String Quartet at the Staller Center Recital Hall. Julian has founded professional chamber music groups as well. He was a founding member of the New York Trio, a piano trio mentored by Grammy Award-winning composer Robert Aldridge and performed in Washington D.C., Connecticut, and upstate New York. The New York Trio also collaborated with Broadway singer Frank D’Ambrosio in their performances. Additionally, Julian was a founding member and cellist of the Anello String Quartet, who was mentored by the Emerson String Quartet and the Juilliard String Quartet in New York. The Anello Quartet performed in the “Alarm Might Sound” concert series in Olivebridge, NY and was invited to give a concert at the Canadian Consulate in New York.

As an orchestral musician, Julian has performed as principal cellist in the True North Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, the New York Classical Players, the Chappaqua Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Tanglewood Young Artist’s Orchestra. He was also selected as principal cellist for the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra in its first ever Orpheus-style orchestra cycle without a conductor.

Julian was awarded first place in the Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow Competition and performed in the Kimmel Center as part of his award. He was the grand prizewinner of the Chappaqua Orchestra Concerto Competition. Julian was also a prizewinner in several other competitions, including the Pearl and Julius Young Music Competition and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Young Artists Competition.

As a student at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division, Julian studied with renowned cellist David Soyer from the legendary Guarneri String Quartet, in which much of his early influence and artistic approaches originate. Julian received his Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School studying with Richard Aaron. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University under the tutelage of Colin Carr. Julian is currently on the cello faculty at the Xi’an Conservatory of Music in China.

Yamaha Artist, an avid recitalist, Chongxiao Liu has concertized throughout Asia, Europe and America, including the United States, Russia, Germany,Italy,France,Bulgaria,South of Korea and other countries, as well as venues in Beijing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Qingdao，Changsha and other places in China.

In addition, he has appeared as a soloist with China Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing Film Orchestra and Qingdao Opera and Dance Theatre Symphony Orchestra. His recordings such as Schubert “Wanderer Fantasy in C Major” D. 760 for Hong Kong Radio 4 and released album with works by Liszt and Brahms have been met with critical praise.

Mr. Liu was invited as a guest to give masterclasses and lectures worldwide, including Washington International Piano Festival, Lancaster International Piano Festival in America, TASTEN Piano Festival and Dreieich Music Festival in Germany, Concerti di Primavera, Autunno Musicale, Concerti del Filologico, and Concerti nel Cortile di San Francesco in Italy, Liangzhu Piano Festival in Hangzhou, China etc. He also appeared at numerous competitions as a piano judge.

He is an Associate Professor of Piano Department at Wuhan Conservatory. Mr. Liu received his BM and MM degrees in China Conservatory of Music and graduated with honors. And then he continued his artistic training in Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Prof. Pavel Nersessian as a visiting scholar.

“Nervy, cerebral, passionate, mysterious and sensual…Flowing, aloft, and at the same time, grounded” (BMInt), pianist and improviser Chi-Wei Lo can well and truly smash the fourth wall. Having graduated from the Juilliard School, Lo enjoys interdisciplinary collaboration and is expanding his creativity through different forms of art. Lo is currently a doctoral candidate at the New England Conservatory, majoring in contemporary piano improvisation, where he was featured as the school’s representation of virtuosity in 2019.

In 2018, Mr. Lo was commissioned by the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC) to celebrate its 10 years anniversary, which led to his new album and the printing of Lo’s limited edition MetroCard.

Past major collaborations include: a concert tour in China with improvisation band Pink Noise; Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto with North American Medical Orchestra; a recital at TECO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York) with New Asia Chamber Society; a show at Tufts University with the band Psychopomp, and improvising on the silent film, Metropolis (1927). Last year, along with pianist Xiaopei Xu, Lo was featured at the Harvard Musical Association and the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

Lo has given several solo tours, including The Dance of the Seven Deadly Sins, Declaration of Aesthetics, Twelve Over Twelve, which includes several benefit concerts in accord with his belief that “musicians should give back to their communities.” Lo currently teaches at the New England Conservatory and the South Shore Piano School.

Simon Maurer grew up in Switzerland in a family of six children, all of whom became professional musicians. He studied violin at the Conservatory in Biel, and continued his studies in the U.S. with Geoffrey Michaels at Swarthmore College and Joyce Robbins at Stoneybrook.

He is currently the concertmaster of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia and will perform the violin solo part of Piazzolla’s 4 seasons with PSO October 7th 2023.

He is the founder and director of the Sunday Sinfonia Orchestra, a diverse group of non-professional musicians dedicated to learning ensemble playing and improving their musical skills in a supportive environment.                         

Mr. Maurer is an accomplished musician performing chamber music and solo concerts throughout the eastern United States, Europe and China. He is currently Concertmaster of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra in Allentown PA. He has performed as soloist in France, Switzerland and with the Shenyang Symphony Orchestra in China. Solo performances in the US include concerts with the Schuylkill Symphony Orchestra, Bloomsburg Chamber Orchestra, Louden Symphony in Maryland, Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, Valley Vivaldi, Southwest Symphony in Hobbs, New Mexico,.

He is a  founding member and the artistic director of the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble now celebrating its 32nd season: www.gabrielensemble.org. Committed to performance and education, the group takes pride in bringing classical music to underserved areas.

Mr. Maurer is active in many Chamber Groups: the Pennsylvania Chamber Ensemble, Trio Clavino, Kalnas Quartet, The Ravel Trio, Satori.

Mr. Maurer has studied baroque violin with Elizabeth Fields, and enjoys performing music from that period on his restored baroque violin. He also enjoys playing Jazz and free Improvisation on his 5 string electric violin.                                                      

Mr. Maurer teaches violin, viola and cello  at the Bear Crossing Music Studio in New Ringgold. 

Simon lives on a converted 20 acre YMCA camp, where he built his own 2000 square foot concert hall and enjoys the outdoors. Tennis is the preferred exercise. He has three lovely granddaughters and one grandson!

FRANCESCO MIRABELLA began studying piano under the guidance of Maestro Giuseppe Cultrera; later, he graduated with the highest honors from the Musical Institute “V. Bellini” in Catania, Sicily, under the guidance of Giovanni Cultrera. 

He furthered his studies with Maestro Epifanio Comis, Aquiles Delle Vigne, Michele Marvulli, Stefano Fiuzzi, Bernard Ringeissen and Zenon Fishbein. He graduated from the prestigious National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome under the leadership of Sergio Perticaroli and won several national and European piano competitions. 

He often performs as a soloist and in chamber music in important Italian and foreign venues, such as: Theatre of Marcellus and Auditorium Parco della Musica - Petrassi Hall, Rome; Alte Oper and Bechstein Piano Center, Frankfurt; Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory Tchaikovsky, Arkhangelskoe Palace and Central house of Art Workers, Moscow; Conservatory of Ulyanovsk and Great Hall of the Lenin Memorial, Ulyanovsk (Russia); The ware Center (Lancaster, Pennsylvania); New York Italian Institute of Culture; Hall of the Beijing Conservatory, Main Hall of Wuhan Conservatory, Main Hall of Sichuan Conservatory – China; “Lyceum Club” of Catania, Catania Diocesan Museum, Teatro Garibaldi Modica, St. James Festival Bologna; Pushkin Theatre (Lugansk - Ukraine); Ward Recital Hall – Catholic University of Washington D.C; Swope Hall, Phillips Autograph Library (West Chester, Philadelphia); Auditorium Philharmonic Orchestra Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine); Sala Mare - Auditorium Symphony Orchestra Sergei Lunchevici in Chisinau (Moldova), Teatro SS Prokofiev (Donetsk - Ukraine); Theatre Tom Jobim Brazilian embassy in Asuncion (Paraguay), National Theatre, opera and ballet Oleg Danovski Constance (Romania), Acropolium of Carthage (Tunisia), Dvorak Museum in Prague.

M° Mirabella has performed many times as soloist with the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Lugansk, Dnepropetrovsk State Philharmonic, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Moldavian State “Sergei Lunchevici”, the Philharmonic Orchestra “S. Prokofiev” of Donetsk, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory of Lugansk, Ukraine Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Oleg Danovski Theater in Constance and the orchestra of West Chester University. Particularly appreciated is his interpretation of Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto #3, under the guidance of Epifanio Comis at the Pushkin Theatre in Lugansk, broadcasted live by Ukraine national television, which received high ratings.

Francesco Mirabella has held high-level master classes in China (Beijing Conservatory, Wuhan Conservatory and Chengdu Conservatory), Paraguay (Asunción) and has participated several times as a faculty member of the Washington International Piano Festival (Organized by The Catholic University of America) and Lancaster International Piano Festival (Millersville University), Pennsylvania.

Frequently invited to be a juror in national and international piano competitions (such as Rachmaninoff Competition at the Gnessin Academy in Moscow - US Open Music Competition in San Francisco - LIPF Romantic Piano Competition in Lancaster – Pennsylvania - International Musikwettbewerb fur die Jugend a Oldenburg. Germany - WIPF International Piano Competition in Washington D.C. etc.), he recently received the “Diploma of Honor” by the prestigious Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation in Moscow.

Mr. Mirabella is the artistic director of -Amici della Musica “Peppino Cultrera”- in Sicily, and piano professor at the “A. Corelli” Conservatory, in Messina, Italy.

Often performs as soloist and as chamber musician, Vincenzo Pavone played in important venues in Italy and abroadsuch a Wiener Saal in Salzburg, the Edimburgh Society of Musicician in UK, the Steinway Hall in New York, the James Black Hall and the W.E. Singleton Center of Perfming Arts in Richmond (USA), the Chopin Associatie Vlandeeren Cultuurcentrum Beringen in Belgium, the Orangery Concert Castle of Unternzennin Wurzburg, the “Euromediterraneo” Festival in Rome, in Sicily for the prestigious “Taormina Arte Festival”, in Frankfurt for DreieicherMusiktage, in Lübeck at Brahms Institut an der Musikhochschule, in Praha at Dvorak Muzeum for the 14th edition of the International Eduard Nápravník music festival at Býšt.

In the 2017 he’s been touring in Francoforte, Dreieich and Darmstadt. Recently, Vincenzo was awarded at the Orchestra Competition of the Global Summer Institute of Music in Richmond. He played Beethoven piano concerto No. 1 at the Italian Grand Gala Piano Tour in Lugansk, Ukraine. Vincenzo was also awarded in several other national and international piano competitions: I° Prize at “National Piano Competion of Barcellona P.G.” and special Prize for interpretetion of J. Brahms, Italy, I° National Piano Competions of “Città di Bucchianico” (CH), II° Prize at VIII National Piano Competions “Benedetto Albanese” Caccamo (Pa), I° Prize International Piano Competions ”G. Campochiaro” di Pedara (CT), I° Prize National Piano Competions “Agimus” (Rome) ect. As well as musician, Dr. Pavoneowns a master degree with the highest honors in Literaturefrom the University of Catania and is also artistic director of the cultural association “Mecenate” in Sicily, he is also a faculty member at he “G. Verga” Musical High School” in Modica. He began studying piano at a late age, when he was 15 years old, under the guidance of Antonella Scuderi; later, he graduated with the highest honors from “V. Bellini” Conservatory in Catania, Sicily, under the guidance of Antonella Scuderi. He furthered his studies with Maestro Lorenzo Di Bella and Guianluca Luisi and took master classes held by eminent teachers such as Aquiles Delle Vigne, B. Canino, R. Risaliti, L. Howard, R. Cappello, Ammara, R. Plano, D. Franceschetti, N. Carusi, L. Trabucco, F. Scala.

Now he is teacher of piano at Conservatory of Music "A. Corelli" of Messina.

Pianist and harpsichordist, Hedi Salanki, is a Distinguished Professor of Music and Director of Piano Program and Chamber Music in University of West Florida.

 “A true artist – a consummate musician…” “She plumbed the expressive depths with a force that was almost shocking…” “Salanki’s playing was distinguished by naturalness, grace, and a feeling of flow…”  These are only a few of the accolades that Hedi Salanki has garnered in the course of becoming one of today’s foremost performers of a wide repertoire of solo and chamber music for the piano and harpsichord.  Recent engagementsinclude teaching and performing atthe Prestissimo International MusicFestival in Pennsylvania,  judging and lecturing at the Maria Clara Cullell International Piano Competition in Costa Rica, judging a Piano Competition in KunmingChina,  performing at the San Jose International Baroque Festival in Costa Rica,  and judging at the Isidor Bajic International Piano Competition in Novi Sad, Serbia

Dr. Salanki is a DistinguishedProfessor of Music at the University of West Florida, where she is the director of the piano program and chamber music.  She teaches piano performance, harpsichord performance, keyboard interpretation, ear training (Kodaly-method solfege), musical structure and style, and chamber music.  She is also active as a guest instructor and clinician.

A native of Hungary, Ms. Salanki has appeared with the New Jersey Symphony, the New York Chamber Orchestra, I Solisti New York, the Syracuse Symphony, the Pensacola Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony and numerous chamber ensembles. She has performed solo, duo and lecture recitals in Europe, the United States, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, Serbia and Costa Rica.  Among her recordings on the Pantheon, Priceless, Laserlight, and Prince Productions labels are many significant works of Bach, including the Goldberg Variations (nominated for Ovation Magazine’s Debut Artist of the Year Award), the Concerti, and the complete English Suites.  She has also recorded Scarlatti Sonatas, Telemann Overtures, and a French Baroque program.

Ms. Salanki earned a Doctorate in Harpsichord Performance from the Juilliard School, as well as degrees and diplomas in piano performance from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the Bartok Conservatory in Budapest, and Rutgers University.  From 1994 to 1998 Ms. Salanki served as founding Artistic Director of the Four Seasons Baroque Ensemble, garnering critical acclaim for artistic excellence and innovative programming.

Chia-Yi Tseng, cellist from Taiwan, began to learn cello at the age of eleven. Between 1994 and 1996, she was selected three times as the Asian Youth Orchestra (A. Y. O.) members, and performed with world known violinist Cho-Liang Lin (1960- ), pianist Alicia de Larrocha, (1923-2009) and many others touring in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia and many major cities in Asia. In 1995, She studied in Paris under the guidance of Professor Genevieve Teuliers (disciple of Andre Navarra) at Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris and in June 1999, only at the age of 20, she received school's highest degree (Diplome Superieur de Concertriste), in November with this honor, she was invited to play "Rococo Variations" for the late Cellist Titan Mstislav Rostropovich at the Salle Cortot in Paris.

To continue her studies, she later entered Conservatoire Superieur de Paris to work with Professor Dominique de Williencourt and in December, she was invited to performed Bach’s Cello Suite for the former Yugoslav Prince Alexandra and Orthodox archbishops at the Saint-Etienne du Mont Cathedral. During her studies in France, she not only focused on cello performance but also chamber music. With this passion in 2001, she obtained a diploma in advance chamber music performance (Diplome Superieur de Musique de Chambre) from ENDMP.

In 2001, she furthered her studies in Yale University with Aldo Parisot, chamber music with Tokyo String Quartet, and conducting with Shinik Hann. In 2003, after receiving her Master degree, she entered University of Maryland on a full scholarship to pursue a doctorate in cello performance, while studying chamber music with Guarneri String Quartet, conducting with James Ross, and serving as an orchestra teaching assistant. During this period of time, she continued to follow guidance under Evelyn Elsing, Peter Wiley and David Teie. In 2007, she received her DMA degree from UMD.

During her time both in France and in US, Chia- Yi Tseng actively participated in domestic and international chamber music competitions and performances, accumulating a wealth of performance experience in solo and chamber music repertoire. Furthermore, she was invited to several international music festivals, such as Festival international de Casals, Festival international de Courchevelle, Festival international de Biarritz, Norfolk International Music festival, Music Alps and worked closely with renowned international professors such as Young- Chang Cho, Philippe Muller, Arto Noras, Franz Helmerson, Roland Pidoux, Yvan Chiffeleau, honing her skills and receiving recognition for her nuanced tone, rich colors, and active performances.

Since returning to Taiwan in 2007, Chia-Yi Tseng has been devoted to cello performance and teaching. She collaborates with musicians from various fields and actively promotes the importance of music and art in Taiwan. Her followers have won the Frist prize in National Music Competition many times and more have been admitted to the Curtis Institute, Juilliard School, Yale, Colburn School of Music, ENDMDP in Paris, and Folkwang School of music in Germany ... and other major music schools in the world.

In 2010, She found “Dance la Musique” Cello Ensemble Music Festival in her home town Kaohsiung, and is the artistic director till now. Every summer, they hold public concerts in Wei Wu Yin National Performing Art Center and gained huge popularities.

Currently, Chia-Yi Tseng is Assistant Professor at Fu Jen University, Tunghai University, National Taichung University of Education, and National Sun Yat-Sen University.

Ms. Xing Wang received her Bachelors and Master’s degrees in performance with the Honor of the Piano Department Award from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Now living in Auckland, Ms. Wang is one of New Zealand’s most sought-after pianists and pedagogues.

As a soloist, Xing has collaborated with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra, NZSM Orchestra, Manawatu Sinfonia, and Tawa Symphony Orchestra. She has given solo recitals around the globe, including China, USA, Spain, Italy, and New Zealand. Her performances were very well received and many of them were broadcasted by Radio New Zealand. Miss Wang is also a passionate chamber musician, she and her colleagues founded the Auckland Piano Trio, and her ensemble was part of the 2017 Chamber Music New Zealand Regional Tour series. As a pedagogue, Xing has taught many young pianists and helped them grow and develop into high achieving musicians. Many of her students are top prize winners in regional and international competitions.

Xing has participated as a fellow performer and teaching assistant in various music festivals including the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Boston, the Valencia International Piano Academy in Spain, the Siena International Music Festival in Italy, and ASQ International Music Festival in Wellington.  

Ms. Xing Wang was a prize winner of many competitions, her awards include the first place Mu Phi Epsilon Young Artist Competition (USA), the Sturm-Page Piano Competition (USA), the US Open Music Competition (USA), NZSM Concerto Competition (NZ), SIMF Concerto Competition (Italy), first prize of Schumann Cup Piano Competition (China); runner-up of Baisi Cup Piano Competition (China) and 4th place in the international Hong Kong Mozart Piano Competition. 

During her study in the United States, Xing served as music director in the San Francisco Grace United Methodist Church, accompanist and coach of the Ina Charles Opera Ensemble and the Capital Opera Company. 

“A sensitive pianist and talented artist.” — Martha Argerich

Hailed by The Boston Globe as “a world-class pianist” and the BMInt as “spellbinding and expressive”, Xiaopei Xu has been featured as a soloist on three continents, striving for creativity in her artistic expression. She made her Boston Symphony Hall debut in 2018, performing Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 with Maestro Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops.

Xu has received international acclaim with top prizes at the New York International Piano Competition, Oberlin International Piano Competition, Tureck International Bach Competition, Richmond Piano Competition and the Washington D.C. International Young Artist Competition. She has been invited to major festivals including Pianofest in the Hamptons, PianoTexas, Banff Music Centre, Sarasota Music Festival, Russia Young Artist Festival, and the Walnut Hill Music Festival. Xu has also been invited regularly to give masterclasses and lectures in Nanjing, Beijing, Qingdao, amongst other cities in China. Xu has been exclusively interviewed by Shanghai Morning Post, Qilu Evening news, Music Weekly, Yanzhao Metropolis Daily, and Shanxi Evening News. Her concerts have been reported by The Boston Globe, Sing Tao Daily, Boston Musical Intelligencer, Lancaster New Era, and more.

Xu’s recent performances have been presented by the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Musical Association, Foundation for the Chinese Performing Arts, The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, German Society of Pennsylvania, Lancaster International Piano Festival, Chinese American Museum(LA), Ukraine Forward, College Music Society… etc.

In addition to her musical endeavors, Xu integrates her love for visual arts with music, creating multidisciplinary collaborations as a way to enhance the artistic experience. A painter herself, she has been commissioned for several installations and collaborative projects. Xu created a combined art and concert experience at the Germany Society of Pennsylvania, as well as an exhibition of her artwork in “The Seven Deadly Sins,” an interdisciplinary concert at the New England Conservatory. Collections of her drawings have been published by the Clara Haskil Competition’s Jeune Critique.

Xu holds her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, Master’s degree from Yale University and Bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. Her principal teachers include Hung-Kuan Chen, Xun Pan, Meng-Chieh Liu, and Boaz Sharon. She has also worked with influential musicians such as Claude Frank, Richard Goode, and Paul Badura-Skoda.

Dr. Yang Yang started her piano lesson when she was four, and continued her music education at Yunnan Arts University, The Nizhny Novgorod State Glinka Conservatory in Russia, and got her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Catholic University of America. Her major teachers include Chen Jingsong, Evgeny Brakhman, and Ivo Kaltchev.

Dr. Yang has won many national and international piano competitions include First Prize at the International Competition for Young Pianists (Yunnan), First Prize at the 3rd Shanghai International Piano Competition (Yunnan), First Prize at the 19th United States Open Music Competition, Third Prize at the 14th International "Music Classica" Festival in Moscow, Russia, and the Third Prize in the 3rd Catholic University of America International Piano Competition in Washington DC, USA.

Ms. Yang went to United States for the Lancaster International Piano Festival held in Millersville University of Pennsylvania as their special guest artist in July of 2016, and performed in many concerts and presented very different repertoires in each concert. The audiences loved Yang’s performances in all venues include the magnificent Steinman Hall and Biemesderfer Concert Hall.

Dr. Yang has performed in many well-known concert halls in Europe, USA, and China including the Beijing Concert Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. 

As the pianist of the Attaca Trio, Dr. Yang Yang has been actively performing solo and chamber music concerts. Currently, she is on the faculty at Yunnan Arts University in Kunming, China, as well as members of American National Music Teachers Association, and California Music teacher Association.

“Xiaofeng Zhang’s performance level is just as good as any of the young pianists in the world today.” taken from “Exotic Pearl in the Ocean of Music” from the Piano Art magazine in 2005.

Chinese pianist Xiaofeng Zhang, born in 1979 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, stepped on the road of music at the age of 3. Showing his outstanding musical talent at a very young age, he won the first prize in Hangzhou children's piano competition only after six months’ training. When studying in the Middle School Attached to Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, he was mentored by professor ZHANG Jin, who was very strict with him and created a perfect art atmosphere for him. Mr. Zhang was admitted by Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music and the Michigan Conservatory at the same period of time when he was in eleventh grade, meanwhile, he also won the first scholarship in Solomon Education Foundation. Solomon Mikowsky, professor at Manhattan School, says that Xiaofeng Zhang is a wonderful talent. Considering keeping the continuity of art, Zhang chose Central Conservatory of Music to study for his Bachelor’s degree, under professor Jun Yang. As for his Master’s degree, Mr. Zhang was admitted to Hochschule fuer Musik "HannsEisler" in Berlin, Germany, mentored by professor Kupfernagel who headed the piano department, and graduated with straight A’s.

During his study period, Xiaofeng won prizes in a number of competitions, among them the “Leschetizky” International Piano Competitionin Taiwan; the “Freedom and Art” International Piano Competition in Brazil; Curtain-Piano Competition in Poland; “Zhu Jiang Cup” Piano Competition in China and others. He was the first and only student who won the “Yamaha Asian Scholarship” for music students. Besides, he won scholarships in every school year.

In 2002, Xiaofeng Zhang recorded the DVD of Carl Czerny’s The Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740. In the same year, he recorded the demonstrative performance for the piano grading test material published by Central Conservatory of Music.

Xiaofeng Zhang, as a young piano virtuoso, is active both in China and abroad. His performance in the United States, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, France, Austria, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other countries and regions; as well as the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, the Beijing Concert Hall, the National Center for Performing Arts, China Central Television, the New Year's Concert, also in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and other cities in China, have won him great acclaim.

Mr. Zhang started to teach in China Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 2002. Since then his students have won prizes in “Oberlin” International Piano Competition in the US, “New Stars” International Piano Competition in Russia, “Steinway” International Youth Piano Competition, International Chopin Piano Competition for Youth in Asia, “TOYAMA” Asian Piano Competition, and “KAWAI” Piano Competition in China.

Chinese Pianist Zhe Zhang, is the Artistic Director of Music 717, Artistic Director of the Singapore Western Music Competition, Secretary-General of the Future Pianists' International Youth Piano Competition, Secretary-General of the Chopin International Youth and Children's Piano Competition.

In 2015, he was invited to give concerts, masterclasses, lectures, and served as a judge in many significant domestic competitions all over China.

In 2018, his 10-year-old student Leo Bailey-Yang held a full concert of 27 Chopin etudes, which received enthusiastic acclaim. His piano lessons have been broadcasted on CCTV news. In recent years, he has trained several piano students who have been admitted to prestigious schools in China and around the world.

He has also served as Secretary-General, Executive Director, Chief Planner, and judge in international music festivals and competitions such as the Arthur Rubinstein International Youth Piano Competition, the Germany Steinway & Sons Schumann International Youth Piano Competition, the American Music Open Competition, the Brahms International Piano Competition in Germany, the Voice of the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK 2018, and the Southern California International Music Festival in the USA.

Since July 2015, Mr. Zhang has been invited to hold open piano classes, lectures, teacher training, and solo concerts across the country. He has also left his performance footprint in Asia, North America, and Europe.

Mr. Zhang has been interviewed by CCTV, Beijing TV, and New York Chinese Channel.

In 2019, he was appointed as a faculty member at the Middle school of the Central Conservatory of Music.

The Gabriel Chamber Ensemble, now celebrating its 32nd season in Schuylkill County, is a Non-Profit Organization, dedicated to present high quality performances of chamber music repertoire. Professional guest artists are frequently invited to join the Ensemble in order to offer a wide selection of chamber music masterpieces. GCE delights its audiences with its informative and fun presentations, its quality of performance, and its informality.

The GCE has been successfully received in Maryland, New Jersey, Vermont, and Atlanta, Georgia.

In addition to its artistic achievements, GCE has initiated community and educational outreach programs to develop chamber music audiences and the musicians of the future. And to further its mission, the Ensemble created the Gabriel Youth Orchestra to provide an opportunity for middle and high school students from throughout the region to play in a professionally managed and conducted setting.

A Steinway Artist, Chinese-American pianist Xun Pan received his early musical training from his grandmother and pianists-parents, Pan Yiming and Ying Shizhen. He continued his studies at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Syracuse University in New York, and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Dr. Pan has won many international piano competitions and awards, beginning with first prize in the 1986 China National Piano Competition in Beijing, and the "Mr. Luis Sigall" International Piano Competition in Chile in 1987, the International Festival Piano Competition in Korea in 1990, the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York in 1992, and the Artists International Competition in New York in 1993. A student of Theodore Lettvin, Dr. Pan has performed solo recitals worldwide from Carnegie Weill Hall to the Beijing National Center for Performing Arts. He has performed in Moscow, Santiago, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Taipei, Budapest, Salzburg, Sicily, New York, Seoul, Pyongyang, Biel, Bern, Brussels, Vina Del Mar, Washington DC, Lisbon, Toronto, Boston, San Jose, San Francisco, and many other cities in the world. He "…excites his audience with extraordinary power and masterful technique." (The Star-Ledger)

A noted chamber musician, Dr. Pan is the pianist of the Newstead Trio, Trio Clavino, Gabriel Chamber Ensemble, and Pennsylvania Chamber Ensemble. Their work has been broadcast live on radio and television, and they have released several highly-acclaimed recordings. Trio Clavino toured seven cities in China with Fulbright Grants managed by US Embassy in Beijing in 2014, and again in 2016. Dr. Pan has served as a judge in many competitions include "Frinna Awerbuch" International Piano Competition in New York, United States Music Open Competition in Oakland, CA, United States International Music competition in Stanford, CA, Pancho Vladigerov International Piano Competition in Shumen, Bulgaria, and Maria Clara Cullell International Piano Competition in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Dr. Pan is the Director of Keyboard Studies of The Tell School of Music at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and is a visiting professor at many universities and conservatories in China, includes Central Conservatory of Music, China Conservatory of Music, Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China Northwest University for Nationalities, Fuzhou University, Yantai University, Shandong University, Qinghai Normal University, and Wenzhou University. He also taught master classes at Manhattan School of Music, Boston University, Frost School of Music at University of Miami, University of West Florida, Benjamin T Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America, Dartmouth College, Mozarteum University (Austria), Bellini Music Institute (Italy), Tbilisi State Conservatoire (Georgia), and others. He taught and served as the Chairman of the Piano Department at Pennsylvania Academy of Music between 1996 and 2009.

Dr. Pan is one of the founding members and the Co-Artistic Director of the Lancaster International Piano Festival in Pennsylvania, USA.

Dr. Pan’s recent project was performing the entire 32 piano sonatas, 10 piano/violin sonatas, and 8 piano/cello works of Beethoven to celebrate his 250th anniversary of birth.

Simon Maurer grew up in Switzerland and studied music at the Conservatory in Biel. He continued his studies in the U.S. with Geoffrey Michaels and Joyce Robbins. Maurer is an accomplished musician performing chamber music solo and orchestra concerts throughout the eastern United States, Europe and China. He currently plays violin, viola, Baroque violin.

A founding member of Gabriel Chamber Ensemble (GCE), he has performed with the ensemble for over 32 years and is the artistic director of the concert series in Schuylkill Haven. Other chamber music ensembles in which Maurer performs include the Ravel Trio, Trio Clavino, and the Pennsylvania Chamber Ensemble. He is also currently Assistant Concertmaster of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia, performs with Valley Vivaldi, Satori, and Allentown Symphony Orchestra.Maurer currently conducts a string Orchestra in residence at Albright College in Reading Pa, Sunday Sinfonia, a mixed group of Albright Students and Community members.

Maurer ventures in the practice of jazz and free style improvisation. He has been a featured soloist in Philadelphia area jazz clubs, has performed at "Jazzfest" in Schuylkill County. He has recorded numerous projects with folk singers and rock groups such as Maggi, Pierce and EJ and Zen for Primates.Maurer teaches violin, viola, cello and bass in Lancaster, and in his studio in New Ringgold.

Maurer lives on a converted 20-acre YMCA camp, where he built his own 2000 square foot concert hall and enjoys the outdoors. Tennis is the preferred exercise. He has three granddaughters and one grandson.

A native of Minersville, Pennsylvania, Dana Allaband studied under Simon Maurer, Sylvia Ahramjian, James Stern and Arnold Steinhardt and has received degrees from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and University of Maryland. Dana has concertized in Venezuela, Romania, Cameroon, Carnegie Hall and various universities across the country. She is principal second violinist of Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, has served as concertmaster with Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Kennett Symphony and Anthracite Philharmonic and performs as an orchestral musician with Reading Symphony and Baltimore Symphony. As an active chamber musician, Dana has performed as second violinist with Elysian Camerata and is currently violinist with the Monteverde String Quartet and Mill Race Collective, and has most recently become a member of the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble. Expressing her interest in various genres of music, Dana has performed rock music with Rachel Barton Pine and tango music with Trifilio Tango. She regularly appears as first violinist with Philadelphia singer/songwriter Andrew Lipke and the Azrael String Quartet and is also the violinist with One Alternative.

Mrs. Allaband is the recipient of the 2016 LLMEA Private Teacher Award. She coaches chamber music each summer at the Bear Crossing Chamber Music String Camp and Vermont Music and Arts at Lyndon State College, VT. Dana is currently an adjunct professor at Albright College and maintains a private violin and viola studio located in the heart of London Grove, Pennsylvania.

Agnès Maurer, violist, is a native of France, where she studied the violin privately. At the age of sixteen, she joined the Ensemble Instrumental Andrée Colson, a professional chamber orchestra. In the United States she studied with Karen Tuttle at Peabody Conservatory, Kim Kashkashian at the New School of Music and Geoffrey Michaels.

She teaches violin and viola at her home studio and also directs a summer music camp for young string players (Bear Crossing Music Camps, New Ringgold, PA).

Maurer is principal violist with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, the Lehigh University Choral Arts Orchestra and the Shippensburg Festival Orchestra. She is a co-founder, executive director, and member of the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble (now in its 32nd season), and is a member of the Pennsylvania Chamber Ensemble, and Satori.

Her solo appearances include performances of Stamitz, Handel-Casadesus, and Telemann Viola Concerti, "Harold in Italy" by Berlioz, Hindemith "Trauermusik" and Mozart Symphonie Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra with Schuylkill Symphony Orchestra, Musica Sacra Atlanta, Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, Bloomsburg Chamber Orchestra and others.

Ai-lin Hsieh received her early musical training in both piano and cello. She holds a BM in Cello Performance from Soochow University, Taiwan, a MM from the Eastman School of Music, and a DMA from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her teachers include Steven Doane, Evelyn Elsing, and Kenneth Slowik. She also received coaching from members of the Guarneri Quartet and the Ying Quartet.

Performance highlights include a collaborative performance with legendary cellist Mistislav Rostropovitch in Taipei and a concerto performance with the University of Maryland Philharmonia Ensemble that won critical acclaim from the Washington Post. She was a member of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Hsieh is currently Assistant Principal Cellist of the York Symphony and is on the music faculty of Messiah College teaching cello performance.